![]() After years and many dollars spent, the city scrapped the plan leaving only a handful of poorly maintained dog parks. Most other city parks were entirely off-limits to four-leggeds. Until recently, the city fiercely debated whether to create a dedicated dog park near Lake Merritt. Oakland has a funny relationship with its dogs. ![]() Photo of Joaquin Miller Park by Mike Fox via Flickr Joaquin Miller Park Full amenities include park-provided poop bags, water, garbage cans, and restrooms. It’s also connected to Crown Memorial State Beach. A warning: Come prepared with towels as the park is entirely covered in sand and dogs can get pretty dirty during a romp. The park is reserved for dogs 30 pounds or lighter and an online favorite among the tinier pooch-owning set. ![]() Alameda Small Dog ParkĪlameda’s Small Dog Park is actually half a park it’s separated by fencing from a section for larger pooches. Owners must still have voice-control over their animals and a six-foot maximum-length leash on hand, as is true for any East Bay Regional Park. There’s also Mudpuppy’s Tub & Scrub, a café, dog shop, and washing station where you can drink a cappuccino and rinse your dog after she’s encrusted in mud and grime. It offers 23 acres of off-leash fun, with fields, shorelines, and great views of the bay. It’s one of the largest such parks in the country, but I don’t actually like to bring my 48-pound terrier mix here I think it’s too busy with dog walkers holding on to multiple unruly, and seemingly untrained, pooches. Many consider Point Isabel to be East Bay dog heaven. Photo of Point Isabel by Nick Fullerton via Flickr Point Isabel Regional Shoreline Foxtails grow in sunshine so the shadier trails listed below might be a safer bet this time of year. They can enter into the soft tissue around your dog’s paws, ears, snout, and other sensitive parts when they romp off-leash through a field, causing serious irritation and infection if not removed quickly. As most Bay Area dog owners know, the plant’s barbed awns attach to passing animals (and humans), burrowing deeper with each movement. But there’s one more danger you should know about:At this time of year the East Bay hills and meadows are covered with foxtails. A word of cautionīay Area trails are often covered in poison oak and you should always check your pooch for ticks after a hike. The Oakland Dog Owner’s Group has created an excellent Google Map of East Bay parks and dog-friendly businesses that I also highly recommend. Consider this merely the beginning of a conversation, and please add suggestions in the comments section. Below you’ll find a list of personal favorites for hikes with your pooch, but when you’re dealing with such natural bounty no short list can be complete. In minutes, you can travel with your best friend from twenty-first-century urban sprawl to a beautiful beach, a rough hillside, or a quiet copse of towering redwoods. San Francisco may have Fort Funston, Crissy Field, and Golden Gate Park for dog walking pleasure, but the East Bay can’t be matched for the breadth of parkland that humans and hounds can enjoy.
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